The Rivalry
by K.C Daring
Summary: Inuyasha is a very headstrong young assassin, but when his messy tactics have him in trouble with leader of AFH Sesshomaru, he finds himself with an unwanted partner. Miroku is a serious and determined agent, when he's paired with Inuyasha, he is given a difficult task. The two must learn from each other, Inuyasha, to follow rules, and Miroku, to loosen up. Their target, Naraku.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I do not own the characters in this story, all right to the characters belong to Rumiko Takahashi

One

What makes each assassin different is the means in which they eliminate their target. Most opted for a silent kill, with little to no mess, Inuyasha wasn't one of those that did. Unlike most of the agents in the organization, he liked to get his hands a little dirty, and his way of doing things got him into trouble regularly. He knew that he was supposed to remain in the shadows, an unseen predator stalking and killing its prey, but there was no fun in that. The real excitement was in moments like this one, the grin on his face spread, his weapon of choice at the ready. His target was a professional hitman, one whose cruel tactics put him on the list of most dangerous criminals. He would be quite the challenge to eliminate, the fight between them would be exciting and bloody.

"Bankotsu, you were not an easy man to track down, lets hope you make it worth my effort." The hitman merely grinned at the white haired assassin as he gazed at him with piercing eyes, filled with malice. "You have a lot of nerve, showing up here, pig. You have nothing on me though, so you might as well stop wasting my time." How Inuyasha had loved it when his targets mistook him for a cop. "I'm not here to arrest you, I'm here to kill you." The words registered quickly and with no second guessing the thug drew his weapon. The large sword was rather intimidating, but Inuyasha was well aware of how his target fought, so he was not surprised. Steel clashed together in an untimed rhythem, the metallic clang, still music to the hanyou's ears. In one swift movement, the assassin stabbed outward, making contact with flesh, and the smell of blood hung lightly in the air. Fear set in when the deadly hitman realized the seriousness of the white haired man's presence. So he ran and the chase had begun, high speeds and guns, soon enough his adrenaline would be pumping.

The engine roared to life, his hands on the wheel in a firm grip, as he slammed his foot on the gas peddle. It was moments like these that he lived for, the risks and dangers only enhanced the thrill of the chase. He raced down the streets of the city, closing in on the outlaw, while he sent cars careening off the road. He aimed his gun out the window and opened fire, mass panic ensued at the sight of two crazed drivers in a deadly car chase. Inuyasha took aim once more, his new target in the crosshairs, he shot off one more round, and hit the small hatch near the back of Bankotsu's car. The fuel sparked in an instant and an explosion rocked downtown with an ear shattering bang. Smoke billowed from the wreckage and Inuyasha continued down the road at high speeds, as the sounds of sirens wailed in the distance.

Amethyst eyes locked in on the target, the man's face expressionless and somewhat cold, and steady hands held a weapon trained on a woman leaving a shady club. His normal weapon of choice was poison or a simple rope, but he had been unable to get that close to Yura. As deadly as she was, her beauty was undeniable, and men swarmed her at every chance. So he would have to use something with a long range kill zone and he just so happened to be a trained sniper. He peered through the scope as he held his breath, waiting for the perfect moment to strike. A short and rather odd looking man, stumbled after her in an attempt to receive her attention, his hands grabbed at her skirt in desperation. She kicked him off her clothes, just as Miroku took the shot, the rifle sent out a thunderous sound, just mere moments before the woman dropped to the sidewalk.

Crowds gathered around the woman's lifeless and bloodied body, as fear and confusion spread amongst the people. Miroku remained silent, preferring to conceal himself in the shadows. He quickly disassembled his rifle and placed the parts into a black duffle bag. He tossed it over his shoulder swiftly and headed towards his motorcycle. He left the scene without gaining the attention of onlookers and made a hasty escape through alleyways and back roads. Most of the agents would say the best part of the mission is killing their assigned targets, while Miroku preferred the solitary ride back to base while convincing himself that he was killing for the better of mankind. Some may think it's easy to murder the evil in this world, but he felt he walked a thin line between right and wrong, good and evil. Was he no better than his targets?

Inuyasha marched through the doors of the Organizations Headquarters, as all eyes shifted to him with disapproving stares. "INUYASHA! IN MY OFFICE, NOW!" The booming voice belonged to none other than, Sesshomaru, half brother to Inuyasha, and the leader of the Organization AFH. He casually strolled into the opulent office, his hands in his pocket, and a confident smile on is face. "What the hell do you think you're doing causing such a scene downtown? The police are looking for you, the citizens are terrified, and you left behind you a path of destruction. I can't keep cleaning up your messes." The older brother's face was stern and tired, the younger of the two, couldn't be left to his own devices. "I eliminated the target at all costs, he's dead, that's all I was supposed to do. You don't gotta freak out on me all the time, Sessh."

It was fair to admit that Inuyasha did have a one hundred percent kill rate, but he did it in such a sloppy manner. There was only one other agent that could say the same, other than Sesshomaru himself, and he was to be arriving back to headquarters shortly. "I know you took the target out, but so does half of the city. You have to be more tactful, Inuyasha. We are not to be seen and yet you have a bad habit of approaching and talking to your target." Inuyasha scoffed at the remark as he folded his arms over his chest, his stance gave off a slightly defensive vibe. "Where's the fun in that? I like my way of doing things, it's much more exciting, besides, it's not like they live long enough to blow my cover."

Sesshomaru was about to rebuke his little brother's foolish remarks, when the door to his office opened. "You asked to speak with me, sir?" So he had returned, just in time too. Inuyasha was about to learn a lesson he wouldn't like and he knew this young mortal agent had his work cut out for him. "Yes, come in." The violet eyed assassin, stepped into the room, before he took his place beside Inuyasha. "Brother, this is Agent Zero Fifteen, Miroku. He is one of AFH's finest agents, his rate is as high as yours, but without the terrible track record and messy kills." The inu youkai stared at the human in disgust, unimpressed by Sesshomaru's high praises. "So he follows procedure to the letter. Am I supposed to be impressed?"

Miroku remained silent, opting to not take Inuyasha's insults personally, he was well aware of Agent Ninty Nine's track record and temper. "Yes, Inuyasha, you should be impressed. He is an assassin whose abilities surpass your own. There is a lot you could learn from, Miroku. So starting today, you two will be working as partners." Miroku nearly choked on the air he had just drawn in, as he hoped he heard the leader wrong, but it was Inuyasha who spoke out in protest. "WHAT?! Me work with a weak mortal? He couldn't keep up with me if he tried. There is nothing he can teach me!" Violet eyes glared at the white haired agent, his temper growing more ever present, he could remain silent no longer. "Look, I don't like this anymore than you do. You're only going to get in my way and make a spectical of every mission."

Dog ears twiched in aggravation, he couldn't believe the nerve of this human. Inuyasha would show him who would be in whose way, there was no chance this guy could best him in a fight. He threw the first punch, while he made the mistake of underestimating his opponent. Miroku dodged the blow expertly, before he dropped out of sight. Amber eyes moved down seconds too late, his feet were kicked out from under him, and he was sent to the floor. It didn't take long for Inuyasha to have a rope around his neck, that cut off his air supply. "Agent Zero Fifteen, release him." Miroku did as he was told and jumped back to his feet in agile and fluid movements. "Inuyasha, get to your feet. You should never attack an ally." The younger brother complied to the elder, but his deep growls, which rumbled low in his throat, expressed the annoyance and anger he felt.

Miroku's unwillingness to work with the half demon grew more obvious by the second. "You really don't expect me to work with someone who tried to punch me? I don't see this playing out well." Sesshomaru knew his half sibling would not take the news well, but he recognized the need for him to learn from someone he could compete with. The rivalry would be good for him and Miroku was the polar opposite type of assassin from his reckless brother. "It's either work with you or lose his place at AFH. It is entirely up to Inuyasha." Clawed fists slammed down on the desk in front of Sesshomaru, the items upon it's surface shook at the impact. "That's complete bullshit and you know it! If you really want me to show up this mortal so badly, I'll do it. Best him every damn time in the field. You'll see that this was a complete waste of time. Let's get to work...partner." He spit the last word with disdain before he turned on his heels and stormed out of the office. "If I survive this hell, Sesshomaru, I think I'll deserve a raise." Miroku left the room with less spunk than Inuyasha, unsure if he could deal with the inu youkai as a partner.

Inuyasha paced in the hall outside of the office, his footfalls heavy and aimless. "This isn't gonna work for me, Mirono. You're just a weak human mortal, there is nothing you can teach me." Miroku could feel himself getting annoyed with the overly confident inu demon, but chose to walk right past him. "The name's Miroku, get it right dog boy." He knew it was a little immature of him to pick a fight by calling Inuyasha such childish names, but he didn't care. "Who are you calling dog boy?" The white haired assassin took a few steps in the other man's direction, he made sure to invade the personal space of his new partner, in an act of intimidation. "If you don't know, then you're more stupid than I orignally thought. I'm not afraid of you, Inuyasha, and I will not let you intimidate me. Like it or not, we are partners, and you will treat me with respect."

Inuyasha couldn't believe someone had the nerve to stand up to him, his reputation normally had other agents avoiding him. Either this guy was brave or crazy and Inuyasha didn't really want to take the time to find out. "Whatever, Miruko. Just stay out of my way." A phone buzzed as a new message was received, the gadget was pulled from a pocket, and violet eyes scanned the contents of the file. "Fine, I'll stay out of your way as long as you stay out of mine. Just know that all of the missions will be sent to my device and without me, you won't be getting any new targets. Oh, and again, my name is Miroku. Try to remember it this time." A low growl rumbled from Inuyasha's chest, while his temper was bubbling just beneath the surface. "I really don't like you, you're a total asshole." Miroku merely shrugged his shoulders, in an attempt to play off the obvious fight Inuyasha was trying to start. "Are you coming or not?"

Sesshomaru was still able to over hear the two young agents as they bickered in the hall, Miroku had a lot of spunk and had the nerve to stand up to his tempermental little brother. Kagura walked into his tidy office, coffee mug in hand, and placed it before her boss. "Are you sure that was such a good idea? We need to start a poll on who will kill the other first." As amusing as his assistance's idea was, he wasn't in the mood for jokes, he sipped his coffee before he took the time to respond. "If this doesn't work, I don't know what I'm going to do with my brother. I need him to follow our procedures, before someone gets hurt and his reckless behavior is the cause." Kagura merely nodded her head, then made a quiet exit, she would let her boss make his own decisions.

Inuyasha tried to remain where he was, he was stubborn and didn't want to partner up with a weak mortal. Unfortunitly for him, Miroku was also equally as hard headed, and he refused to be pushed around. "You can't just leave me out of the missions, give me your phone, and we'll see who eliminates the target first." Miroku chuckled at Inuyasha's attempt to turn the mission into a competition, he did want to take him up on the offer though, and show him how a real assassin takes down a target, but he knew better. "You can either follow me or go home. Your choice, Inuyasha." Miroku was well aware of how much he was irritating the white haired inu youkai, but he had already come to the conclusion that he would have to stand his ground and deal with Inuyasha's temper.

The ravan haired assassin had made it outside, before Inuyasha had begrudgingly decided to work with the human agent. "Wait up, I'm not going to let you go alone and show me up." Miroku stopped in front of his motorcycle and instantly knew that this would probably become an issue. "We might have to take your car, unless you don't mind sitting on the back." He growled again, for the third time since they were introduced, their partnership was not getting off to a good start. "I am not riding bitch. We'll take my car and I'm driving." One of them had to be compliant if they ever wanted to take down the target and Miroku knew that he would have to give in more often than not. "Alright, if that's what you want. You can drive, if it's that important to you." Inuyasha seemed to relax when given some of the control, he casually strolled toward his car, hands crammed in his pockets, while Miroku reluctantly followed behind. This would certainly be the longest stake out he had ever had to sit through, all he could do was hope Inuyasha would learn what he was supposed to learn, and quickly.


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I do not own the characters in this story, all right to the characters belong to Rumiko Takahashi

Two

The night had dragged on for what seemed like days, to the half dog demon, the exhaustion was obvious as he fell upon his unmade bed. The human assassin was a stickler for all the rules and protocals. Inuyasha had tried to make the time spent in the car fun, but music wasn't allowed and talking was distracting. He didn't know how much longer he could stand being stuck with the guy, he was so boring. As much as he dreaded returning to work, he was aware that it was in his best interest to stick things out. He would do whatever he had to, to stay an agent of AFH, he enjoyed it too much to give it up. In that moment the cell on his nightstand buzzed, which alerted him of the incoming text. The message was from Miroku, it was short and frank. 'I have discovered the where abouts of our target.' The dread set in again for Inuyasha, he had to go back and finish out the mission with the bossy human. He would just have to prove that he was the better agent and get the kill before Miroku did, then their partnership would be over.

If wickedness had a name, it would be Kaguya Miriyama. She was the first woman to ever become head of a group of mercenaries and she lead ruthlessly. Her hit list was long and her kills bloody and gruesome, she had made a name for herself on the blackmarket and needed to be eliminated. Miroku and Inuyasha watched her cross the street from the dark shadows of a nearby alleyway. While the darker haired assassin strategized for the perfect kill, the other was waiting to make his move. "I think we may be able to get the kill with no gun and no mess, once she enters her home, we can slip in unseen." The idea was simple enough, but it did not appeal to Inuyasha, there was no excitement in his plan. "Too easy, we do things my way." He strolled out of the shadows and made his way to the target, Miroku reached to grab his arm, but missed the wrist he aimed for, the look on his face was that of frustration and annoyance. The know it all half demon was moments away from sabotaging the whole mission, in a weak attempt to prove he was the better of the two.

"Yo Kaguya, I got a job for you." The woman was dressed elegantly, the red dress hugged her curves, paired with a black silk scarf that was draped over her shoulders, she turned towards the voice, and eyed Inuyasha with an icy gaze. "Do I know you? I don't typically associate with mongrels like you." Words like these had come to anger Inuyasha, after years of teasing, he learned to lash out. The indigo eyed assassin silently face palmed, he knew this was not going to go well, he could already sense Inuyasha's temper. "Listen bitch, you've killed too many people and I gotta take out the trash. Times up, Kaguya." The grin on the femme fatale's sharp features, was calm and cold, she had a plan of her own. "My time is no where near up, you vile mutt." The scarf around her neck was grabbed and thrown into the inu youkai's face, the dress was torn off revealing a tight fitting jumpsuit.

Clawed fingers grabbed at the scarf, in a clumsy attempt to remove it from his vision. The black fabric was carelessly dropped to the cracked sidewalk, but before he was completely prepared, he received a hard blow to the side of his head. The hanyou assassin stumbled back a few steps, before he could regain his footing, he had not expected the dirty tactics. "You got lucky, wench." But before he made his counter attack, he had to make sure his reluctant partner was watching. "I hope you're watching a pro at work!" Normally he didn't enjoy beating up a woman, but after that kick she landed, he was looking forward to it. He charged at her, with full speed, and swung a low blow to her stomach. She groned loudly as the air left her lungs, her body was doubled over in pain, and a single dainty hand clutched Inuyasha's collar. He felt pride in himself, he knew Miroku would still be watching from the shadows, and he figured he might as well put on a show.

The silenced lingered as the inu demon reached for his knife, this was over, and he didn't even need the human's help. Just as he gripped the weapons handle, a sharp pain erupted from between his legs, and before he knew it, he was the one doubled over. Her knee jerked up again, getting him right between the eyes, and in mere seconds he was on the ground. His amber eyes were opened, only to be met with the sight of a dark and cold barrel. "End of the line mutt, say your prayers." She cocked the gun, her cold gaze never broke away from his face, he closed his eyes, ready to accept his fate. He waited for the loud crack of the bullet leaving the chamber, but the sound of a body hitting the ground entered his overly sensitive sense instead.

The nerve to open his eyes had finally come to him and he found himself looking up at his mortal partner, a bloodied knife still in his gloved grip. "Nice save, for a human, I guess." Miroku only shook his head in disappointment, as he had been unable to find any words to say to the half demon. Instead he pulled out a black cloth from his pocket to clean the blade, as he turned and began to walk away. Inuyasha quickly got himself back on his feet and followed after the other man, he had to explain that this mess up had been a fluke. "Zero Fifteen, don't get all pissed off, I totally could have gotten her on my own." At least the careless fool remembered to use his number and not name, so he turned to face him. "That's not the point man, you won't learn anything if you close your mind to everything I suggest. I know you don't want to learn from me, but you have to at least try. I had to learn new tactics tonight..." Violet eyes took on a hard edge and a whisper draped over his next words. "I have never used this knife before. The point is, there's always new things to be learned."

Inuyasha couldn't help but notice that his partner seemed more disappointed with the fact that he used a knife, even more than he did with Inuyasha's lack of protocal. The two men made the walk back to the car in silence, but once there, the hanyou broke the lull. "You've never used your knife before? Why not? There's no rules against using a knife on a target, as long as they are alone, and not in a public place." As a response, Miroku pulled off the black glove, the blood had soaked through, and covered his hand in places. "I choose to kill without getting blood on my hands. I prefer not using sharp weapons or guns, if I am able." The blood stained hand was held up between them, the limb was steady, but the man's eyes lacked something. "This makes me feel like I am no better than the target I take down." The words seemed strange to Inuyasha, it's not like they kill innocent people. What they did was nothing of the sort, they protected innocent lives, by ending the ones that stole the lives of the innocent. Yet he chose to remain silent as the passenger next to him, began to wipe the blood from his hand.

The two had parted hours earlier, but Inuyasha still couldn't forget the human's words or the somber look on his face. As much as he hated to admit it, he was intrigued by the thoughts of the human, he had wanted to dislike. The man was odd, to say the least, it was as though he was ashamed of what he did for a living. Inuyasha had always chosen to return home in his black clothing, but Miroku had changed into something with color, before stuffing the dark clothes into his duffle. "He's just so weird..." His random and quiet outburst, had his blue eyed companion, looking over at him, an eyebrow quirked in question. "What are you talking about, man?" The inu hanyou placed the cup onto the table and turned to look at the wolf youkai, as they sat in a corner booth in the nearly deserted pub. "I know you heard about who my brother teamed me up with and that human is an odd one. I just can't figure him out, Koga."

The wolf demon scrunched his nose in disgust, he couldn't imagine working with a mortal, they're so fragile. "Why would you want to figure him out? He's just a human afterall, a human working in a dangerous profession." The half demon knew his coworker was right, humans were killed on the job all the time at AFH, it could happen to any of the fragile mortals. "The strange thing is though, he doesn't seem to enjoy killing his targets. He's completely detached from the work, he even hates blood. I don't get it." Koga merely shrugged his shoulders, unsure of how to even respond to the white haired assassin. "I gotta tell you, Inuyasha, I don't understand humans at all. So you're asking the wrong guy." Koga's phone buzzed in his pocket as he received another incoming mission, he scanned the small screen quickly, before he got up to leave. "Well, I gotta go. I'll see you around. Good luck with the mortal." He left the pub, without drawing the attention of the few patrons scattered about the room, and left Inuyasha with his thoughts.

Perhaps he should give the human a chance to teach him something, Inuyasha was half human, so he might learn something about himself. Yet, even in his own mind, the words sounded unsure and a little crazy, then a voice broke through his thoughts. "Sesshomaru said I might find you here. I figure we might as well build rapport, if we're going to be working together, we need to be on friendier terms. Wouldn't you agree?" Inuyasha recognized the voice before he looked up, he smiled weakly, then motioned for Miroku to sit down. "I'm not sure I could ever be friends with a human, we're just too different." The raven haired man remained detached, as he chose not to let the other man's words get to him. "You don't even know me. You just know that I am a mortal. I'm giving you a chance, even though the only other half demon I have come across slaughtered my family."

Even though his voice was even, Miroku's face showed some of the sadness he tried to conceal. "I know you hate working with me, but if you learn to do things in a more tactful way, you'll be back to working on your own. I made the offer I wanted to make, it was your choice to decline." The icy undertones in his voice were obvious, his phone chimed at his incoming message. He viewed the file, his violet eyes fell upon the photo, and his face drained of color. "It appears that we have another target, this one won't be easy. We really have to work together on this one." Miroku passed the phone to Inuyasha, he instantly recognized the man in the photograph, the notoriously evil mob leader, Naraku. "You might be right, man."

Their next target was a man that has only been seen on rare occasions, AFH has had one agent find him, and he was killed on sight. They would really need to work on their teamwork, otherwise this could end up being the end of both of them. "Maybe we could run through some mock missions in the training field, work on combat skills together, and find out how we compliment each other." Miroku had not expected Inuyasha to make the suggestion he had, the man had been trying to come up with the best approach to ask the inu youkai the same thing. "You're right, we do need to figure this out, if we ever want to take down Naraku. When do we start?" Inuyasha knew that if he could gain Miroku's trust, he could easily show him up, and get back to being a solo agent. "Today, man, the sooner the better. You in?" The human smiled, for the first time since they met, his guard slowly coming down. Inuyasha grinned too, he knew the human would soon consider them to be friends. He didn't need to know, that demons never befriended mortals, his plan was all coming together.

The two assassins walked together towards the gym, the sparring ring would be a good place for the hanyou to show off his skills. This time the human wouldn't be able to best him, he was fully prepared to give it his all, he would not go easy on the man this time. "You think you have what it takes to beat me in a hand to hand fight?" Violet eyes shifted to fall upon their white haired opponent, his face calm and emotionless. "I'll give it all I got, but I don't know if I can beat you. You are a half demon after all and I'm just an average man." Inuyasha was stunned into silence, he wasn't prepared for that response, he more hoped for an argument. "Well, yeah. I guess that's true." The words fell out flatly, just when he thought he could rile him up, Miroku would surprise him by staying calm. They both prepared for the friendly match by wrapping their hands in bands, before putting on the grappling gloves.

They face off, the hanyou's face was serious, his stance firm, and his fists at the ready. The human, on the other hand, stood before the half youkai nonchalantly, his hands hung loosely at his sides, as he awaited for his opponent to make the first move. "You ready, human?" "Yeah, I'm ready." Miroku's non caring attitude irritated the dog demon, but he tried to keep his temper in check, so he could think straight. By the look of Zero Fifteen's stance, Inuyasha figured he would have to make the first swing, but he wanted to land it. He stepped into the middle of the ring and approached Miroku with the intent to land a blow. He held his hands in position, his amber eyes intense and piercing. He swung out, Miroku lazily dodged it by leaning out of his reach.

The white haired assassin felt the growl rumble in his throat, his temper bubbled just over the surface. He swung three more times, Miroku dodged the first two blows and blocked the third. "Nice. You've got skills." The growl rumbled through him one more time, he knew Miroku was just rubbing it in, mocking him. "Shut up!" He pushed him back, knocking the raven haired human off balance, before he swung again at his abdomen, this time it landed, which sent Miroku reeling back into the ropes. The other agents, in the gym, stared at the two, as the man against the ropes wheezed and coughed. "What the hell, Inuyasha?" The question was strained and choked, as he struggled to catch his breath. "You don't have to fight dirty." The white ears on top of his head twitched, as he held his head high with pride, and a smug smile spread across his face. "Guess you couldn't dodge that one."

Miroku slowly pulled himself to his feet, he swayed slightly, but faced Inuyasha bravely. "No, I couldn't. Not sure anyone could have, after being pushed, but I know your fighting style now. You play dirty, street rules. Shouldn't surprise me, you're not one to ever play by the rules. Time for me to get serious." The man closed his indigo eyes, as he breathed in deeply, he fell into a place of complete awareness. "You will not touch me again." The hanyou could hear the calm confidence in the mortals words and he wanted to break it, so he charged again. He threw punches, kicks, jabs, and uppercuts, all of which were blocked by the human's palms and his eyes remained closed. In swift and graceful movements, Miroku was able to land several painful blows. Amethyst eyes only opened again after Inuyasha was on his knees, with no words a hand was offered to Inuyasha, in show of peace.

A clawed hand jerked up and slapped the friendly offer away in disgust and anger, the scowl on his face displayed his fangs, and his amber eyes were burning with rage. "Just get away from me. You are no ordinary human, you're a freak. I hope we don't have to work together for long." Inuyasha got to his feet, his body ridged with anger, his hands balled into tight fists, he stood in front of the other assassin, but kept space between them. "You and I will never be friends, I don't even think we will ever be good partners. I'll get through this mission, do it your way, and be solo by the next target. I'll do just about anything to get away from you." The human shrugged his relaxed shoulders, he wasn't about to let Inuyasha's harsh words get to him. "Fair enough, Ninety Nine, we'll just get this over with. I'm better at solo missions myself." The hanyou stood his ground, while the victor of the match walked away, unsure of whether they would ever be able to get along long enough to eliminate Naraku.


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I do not own the characters in this story, all right to the characters belong to Rumiko Takahashi

Three

Inuyasha stormed into his older brother's office, his face hard and serious, as he crossed the room to the cherry wood desk. "I can't handle working with that boring mortal a day longer. You know as well as I do, that I am doing a fine job working alone. I take down any criminal I am assigned to, so I don't understand why you are putting me through this." The hanyou paced back and forth the tiny space, his movements leading no where, and his temperment becoming more apparent. "You try working with Zero Fifteen, he's infuriating, and dull. Why couldn't you have paired me with anyone else?" The elder brother had known this question would be asked eventually and the truth would sting a bit, once spoken. "No one else would work with you, so we took a vote, and Miroku was voted as the best for you to learn from." The pacing had halted as Sesshomaru spoke, the words sank in slowly, not even Koga had been willing to work with him.

The realization angered him, rather than hurt, he wasn't that difficult to work with, he was sure he was easier to work with than Miroku. "I don't need to learn anything from anyone, I'm a damn good agent, just let me run solo again." Sesshomaru eyed his brother skeptically, then shook his head slowly in disagreement, the action sent wisps of his white hair into his face. Clawed fingers moved the loose strands away, in a graceful swipe, the sterness never left his face, and his gaze remained piercing. "Inuyasha, you have plenty to learn. Your actions could not only get you hurt, but innocent people as well. You have got to take this job more seriously and stop making a mockery of everything. Take this situation and learn from it, grow from it, and make yourself an even better agent." The scowl on his face grew deeper, he clenched his fists in frustration, and fought the urge to hit something. "Fine. You'll see you were wrong, once I kill Naraku, without the help of agent Zero Fifteen." He then stormed out of the office and slammed the door behind him with a thunderous bang, that shook the walls that surrounded Zero One, leading agent of AFH.

Miroku sat at his desk, his violet eyes on the computer file in front of him, his fingers moved over the keyboard skillfully, as he finished up the paperwork that had been sent to him. He had just finished typing out the accounts of his and Ninty Nines last mission, when his chair was spun around a mere one hundred and sixty degrees. The hanyou stood over him in an attempt to be menacing, his arms were crossed over his chest, and his face was angry. "Let's go kill Naraku, so I can be done with you. We both hate working together and the sooner we get this finished, we will be on our own again." It was a true enough statement, in it's own way, and they did work better solo. "That's all well and good, Inuyasha, but we have no idea where he is, so you're stuck with me. We have another target to deal with today, two actually, Juromaru and Kageromaru, the brothers with cannibalistic tendencies."

The hanyou was more than a little irritated to learn that he had another assignment with the freak of a mortal and he didn't try to hide his feelings with a false smile. "Yeah, that's exactly what we need, more assignments as partners." Amber eyes fell onto the screen, his face flashed with more contempt, once the words finally registered in his mind. "You can't send that to Sesshomaru, he'll make me work with you that much longer." Inuyasha tried to get to the mouse to delete the incriminating evidence, only to get his hand slapped away. "You should have thought about that before showing off, I'm not going to cover your ass by lying for you. I will type up every account as it happened and I suggest that if you don't want to work with me, that you learn to follow procedures quickly." The click of the mouse seemed to pierce the silence as the file was sent on its way to the chief of AFH, and the anger flared in the dog demon once more.

"You bastard. Are you trying to keep us partnered up? You know as well as I do, that report is gonna get me in trouble." The human merely shrugged his shoulders calmly, aware of what would happen once Sesshomaru read the file. "You should have thought about that before you acted on impulse. You have to learn to follow the rules. We better get started on finding the two brothers we've been assigned to eliminate." Inuyasha fought back the urge to lash out in frustration, it was like the guy wanted him to lose his position at AFH. "Of all the agents to get stuck with and I get you. A know-it-all stick in the mud, with a dull and lack luster personality." It was at this moment that Miroku had grown tired of Inuyasha's attitude and insults, he got to his feet and looked him in the eye with an icy gaze. "You talk about me as though you know me. Yes, I follow the rules of my job, but I am far from dull. Just because I bested you in a fight, doesn't make me a freak. You on the other hand, are smug, overly confident, violent, tempermental, and lack the ability to be tactful."

The hanyou bared his fangs with an angry scowl, his amber eyes burned with a hot rage, and he clenched his fists in aggrevation. "Oh yeah? Well you're a coward that hates blood and is so weak minded that you aren't even sure if you're any better than the targets we kill. You're pathetic and full of shit. What do you have to say about that?" Miroku shook his head in indignation, Ninety Nine certainly did know how to provoke him into a pointless verbal exchange. "Nothing, I have nothing to say. Let's just get started on the next mission and get today over with." Miroku turned away from his hot headed partner and shut down his desktop, he knew it was best to just let Inuyasha have the last word, if he could just get him to follow the rules on at least one assignment, maybe they could both work solo again.

Inuyasha tried to push back his anger, he knew it was in his best interest to calm down, and brush off all of the human's pointless words. It wasn't like Zero Fifteen knew him well enough to make such quick and harsh judgements. "Whatever, if I can get through this mission your way, Sesshomaru will let me have the Naraku case as a solo assignment. It's not like you could handle that one alone, you don't have what it takes." The human agent let out an unamused and dry chuckle, as he returned his loose files to their rightful places. "I'd gladly let you have it, but you and I have to complete that one together before you get to return to the field solo. So you're stuck with me until then, not that I'm any happier with our situation. Either way we have got to learn to get along. What do you say, partners?" Miroku offered out his hand in a friendly gesture, in hopes of at least breaking the heavy tension between them.

Amber eyes stared hard at the offer, his nose crinkled in disgust, but they had to get along long enough to take out the nearly impossible target. It took him a few moments to begrudgenly take the human's hand and shake it slowly. "I suppose you're right, we do need to be able to get along." Miroku seemed to relax visibly as the tension slightly eased between them, glad that they could come to some kind of agreement. "All we have to do is kill Naraku and you'll never have to talk to me again. Sound good to you?" The hanyou grinned happily at his reluctant partners words, once all this was over he could avoid the freak of a human. "That's your best plan yet."

The two had scoped out many of the known hideouts, the killer brothers often frequented when needed to lay low. Now they were seated in the hanyou's apartment, in front of a laptop. Inuyasha had grown tired of hearing Miroku's phone buzz loudly, it distracted him from the information they had dug up. "Would you just answer that stupid cell already? It's getting on my nerves and don't say it's against the rules, I won't tell anyone." The human seemed to consider answering the device that set on the desk between them, just as the incoming call came to an end. "I missed the call anyway, besides my attention needs to be on the case. I'm sure it can wait." The hanyou strummed his finger on the oak desk, the boredom had settled in, and he didn't know how much longer he could take it. "Do you always have to be this boring? We could actually start to get along if you weren't such a stick in the mud. Live a little, man."

White ears twitched at the sound of a quiet chuckle, that eminated from the chair to his left, his stuffy partner was laughing. "You're blaming me? That's rich. You have been nothing but judgemental and hateful to me. I know you dislike me, that you don't want to work with me, and that you and I will never be friends. So is there really anything I can do that would make you want to get along with me? I doubt it." His words were rather shocking and brutally honest, in some ways it stung. As truthful as it was, the harshness was a smack to the face. "You act like it was an easy transition for me. I get told that I have to work with the perfect, human assassin, because I wasn't doing my job well enough. That if I didn't change how I do things, I would lose my job. You think this was something I liked to hear?"

The white haired assassin paced before his human counterpart, unsure of why he even told that to the other agent. "Honestly, Miroku, I didn't like that you were given such high praises. You, a human, were called better than me, a half demon. It shouldn't even be possible." The human assassin sighed in resignation, tired of the both of them constantly being at odds. "Inuyasha, I am a human, but I am spiritually aware. I was trained as a Buddist monk and I can do things that most people cannot. On another note, I don't think I am a better agent than you. You're an extremely capable agent, you're strong and you love your job. You just have to follow the rules and you'll be the best assassin at AFH. I'm not here to make you act like me, I was asked to help you reach your full potential. Think about it, we have never missed a kill and you're not even following protocal. Now imagine how quickly you'll get things done if you don't waste time on putting on a show."

The hanyou offered a fanged grin, his ego boosted by his partner's kind words, and now that he knew Miroku was a monk, the loss he took during the fight didn't seem quite as bad. "You're not so bad, Zero Fifteen. Maybe we could make this work after all. If you still want to work with me." Miroku smirked in a boyish way, relieved that they could be on the path to a coopertive partnership. "I don't think we have much of a choice. Truce?" The monk held out his hand as to seal the deal between them, the half youkai took the offered hand and shook it once. The tension between them seemed to completely dissipate, they had finally come to an agreement of some kind, and this put Miroku at ease. "We better find these brothers and work together as a team, they are never apart, and we have to cooperate if we want to get the kill at the same time. You ready?" Inuyasha's face took on a serious look, he was prepared to do things the right way, so he nodded in confirmation before he headed towards the door. "Well, come on. We've got no time to waste."

The two had worked together to follow the clues that they had gathered, it lead them to an abandoned warehouse, in a shady part of the city. Inuyasha parked his car between two old buildings, the shadow concealed his car in the late night darkness. "The two bastards should be in there. What's the plan, Zero Fifteen?" Violet eyes scanned the rundown warehouse in front of him, he took notice of everything, while he tried to formulate a plan. "I wonder if there's away to get in from the roof, it's hard to tell if the doors are guarded and the windows are boarded up. If we're really quiet, maybe we could get in through the fire escape. What do you think would be the best point of entry?" The hanyou was a little taken aback that Miroku would even ask him his opinion, it wasn't like he was the strategic type, but it would make for a good learning experience.

So he followed the example his partner had unknowingly gave, he took in their surroundings, and thought about the questions and good points Miroku had given before he made a decision. "I think the easiest entry would be the door but too obvious, roof would be a challenge to reach quietly, but the fire escape is a good possiblity. We should definitely go with the latter choice, it's the safest way to get inside." The half demon seemed to finally understand the importance of being tactful and against popular opinion, he was quite astute. "You know what, Ninty Nine? This might be the start of an interesting partnership. Let's terminate the targets before they hurt anyone else." Inuyasha grinned in a cocky manner, his mood had improved a great deal, and he nodded in a wordless agreement. This would be the first mission the two would complete as a team and he wanted it to be done flawlessly. This time, Sesshomaru would be given an excellent report, and after they took down Naraku, he would be a solo assassin once again.


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: I do not own the characters in this story, all right to the characters belong to Rumiko Takahashi

Four

Miroku glanced up at the rusted iron of the old and unstable platform, he could tell that if they were to lower the ladder, it would groan in protest and alert the men inside. "I don't think we can get up there without making too much noise, those two will hear us for sure." Inuyasha shrugged calmly, he wasn't seeing where the problem was, it looked easy enough for him. "You got a rope, man?" Violet eyes moved towards the hushed voice and he realized instantly that his partner had a plan. "Of course. Do you need it?" The hanyou assassin held out his hand and waited patiently for the rope to be given to him. The other man reached into his pouch and grabbed for the item he needed, before he placed it on clawed fingers. "I'll get us up there with no problem, it's not that high." Inuyasha leapt into the air, his movements fluid and practiced, he landed on the platform gracefully, barely making a sound.

He offered a fanged smile down at his partner below, before he tossed down the rope to pull him up. Miroku got a good grip onto the braided twine, as the youkai had begun to hoist him up to scaffold. The two worked in near silence, the black clothing made them blend in with the darkness of night. A short amount of time had passed, but both men stood before the door, heavy footfalls could be heard on the other side. Miroku readied his rope, while Inuyasha removed a card from his pocket, he opened the door with little effort. The guard had his back to the pair of assassins that had made their way inside the warehouse. Miroku crept up behind the unsuspecting man before using his weapon of choice to wrap around the man's neck. The guard struggled and grabbed at the unknown object around his neck, as he began to lose consciousness his movements weakened.

The hanyou watched as his partner laid the man down on the ground, before he bounded the man's arms and legs with zipties and gagged him with a piece of cloth and duct tape. He then dragged the guard out of the door to leave him on the fire escape, now that the man was out of sight, they could find the brothers. "It would have been easier to kill that guy." The dog demon's harsh whisper sounded rather exasperated and maybe even slightly confused, but Inuyasha didn't really care who he killed. "He wasn't a target. C'mon, let's finish this." The monk kept his voice soft and detached, he really didn't feel that he needed to explain his actions to his violent partner, but he wanted to put an end to Inuyasha's curosity. The hanyou eyed his partner with confused amber eyes, slightly impressed with his ablility to stay so disciplined, and keep so focused.

The two peered down from the railing, stooped low to keep from being seen, the two brothers sat at a table, as they ate the remains of their last victim. Miroku grimaced in disgust, his face paled at the thought of what was on the plates. While Inuyasha chose not to think about the sickening meal, he instead focused on the men seated in the old wooden chairs. The smaller of the two incarnates of evil was Kageromaru, his appearence seemed almost frail and sickly, his skin was ashen and scarred, and his right eye had gone milky after a fight gone bad. The larger one was Juromaru, his white hair was tied back in a low ponytail, his gaze distant and unfocused, he was the muscle of the duo, back lacked in brain power. Although one could easily underestimate them, they were dangerous and deadly, one wrong move could prove the end of two worthy assassins.

Clawed fingers pointed to the bigger of the two cannibals, the gesture was understood by the monk, as he nodded his head. It was Miroku's job to eliminate the smaller man, he was reported to be rather fast and completely insane, he wouldn't admit it out loud, but the guy gave him the creeps. They quietly backed away from the railing and made their way to the stairs, ropes at the ready, determination in their eyes. This time they would work together like a well oiled machine, no screws ups or near deaths would happen this time. As they came closer to the men that were seated at the table, the sounds of them smacking their food filled the area around them. The site was appaling, the smell of death hung heavily in the air, blood stained the concrete floor, and bones were scattered about the room.

Their make shift lair was vile and disturbing, the world would be a much safer place without them in it. They crept up behind their targets, weapons in hand, prepared to take another life to protect the innocent. Closer they came, their hands steady, their purpose for being there almost over, they just needed a few more minutes. Tightly braided twine made contact with flesh, it enclosed around both targets throats, stolen was the ability for them to breathe. Both bucked violently, hands clawed and ripped at the ropes in desperation, panicked kicked in and adrenline coursed through their veins, yet the deathly hold was not released. Juromaru leaned forward, as he lifted Inuyasha off of his feet, and had somehow found the air to let out an angry scream. The disruption had managed to distract Miroku, the loud noise caused him to jump and his hands fumbled for a mere second.

He regained his grip, but it was too late, Kageromaru had made an awkward twisting movement, before he grabbed Miroku's arm, and pulled him to the ground. "Don't let him loose, Ninety Nine, I can manage." Inuyasha wanted to help his partner but on the other hand, knew it was in their best interest to not have both of them loose at the same time. Juromaru had been brought to his knees, but had fought off losing consciousness, and Kageromaru had managed to get the other agent pinned to the floor, his eyes crazed and an insane smile on his face. Miroku clumsily reached into a small pouch that was clipped to his hip, he had never been in this position before. His hand found what it had been searching for, in a practiced motion he flicked the cap off the syringe. He pulled it out of the bag in fluid movements and plunged it into Kageromaru's neck, before he injected him with the contents of the vile.

Juromaru hit the floor with a lifeless thud, Inuyasha tied the rope around his neck tightly to be sure he was dead, but he had to reach his partner. Kageromaru had flown into a violent rage, after being given the mystery injection, he had Miroku by the neck, his disgusting hands had begun to squeeze the life out of his human partner. The hanyou wasn't sure why he felt compelled to save the man's life, but he did, and he would. He quickly made his way over to the both of them and kicked the crazed man off of his partner. "Are you okay, Zero Fifteen?" Miroku gasped for air, he had to catch his breath before he could respond, this wasn't going to look good on the report, but he would have to be honest. "I'm alright, just screwed up this time. I let myself get distracted." White dog ears had instantly recognized the disappointed tone in his voice, his human partner must be one of those perfectionist types.

Violet eyes slowly moved towards the motionless figure that laid on the floor a few feet from him, annoyed that he had nearly let the bastard best him. "Let's just head back to headquarters, I need to get this report written out." Inuyasha moved to check if the other brother was dead, but didn't want Miroku to think he doubted his abilities as an assassin. "Is he dead?" The human nodded his head once, his face calm but emotionless, but he got to his feet and headed for the doors. "Yeah, that poison only takes a minute to do the job. He's gone." The two made it back outside, in the cover of night, the moon a tiny sliver in the sky, the clouds hid the stars behind a misty gray, and raindrops fell from above. Inuyasha eyed the moon with annoyance in his amber eyes, he couldn't join his partner for the following night, and needed to come up with an excuse to get out of the search for Naraku.

The two were back in Inuyasha's car, both were headed back towards the base, and they left behind the death that took place in the warehouse. "I won't be able to scout out the hideouts with you tomorrow, I have a thing." His reason couldn't have been any weaker if he tried, but maybe Miroku wouldn't question him, letting him get away with it in favor of working alone for one night. A black eyebrow quirked in question, the surprise he felt not shown on his face, but his disbelief was obvious. "You don't want to come to work tomorrow, because you have a thing? I feel like this is your way of trying to work alone, it's not working. I'll see you tomorrow night or I'll report your absense to agent Zero One." The hanyou's grip on the streering wheel tightened as his temper flared internally, he couldn't snap on his partner again, it wouldn't help his cause. "I really can't come in, you wouldn't understand, it's the night of the new moon."

Miroku stared at the hanyou, unsure of why it being the start of the moon cycle mattered, it came about every month, and there was no important meaning. "So what? It's the darkest night of the month, so we'll be that much harder to spot. I expect you to be there tomorrow night, no excuses." Inuyasha could feel himself as he became anxious, the idea of this human knowing of his weakness was uncomforting. "It's not as easy as you think, I'm vulnerable during that time." He pulled his car to a stop, the red glow of the traffic light cast an old hue about the faces of the pair in the vehicle, the tension grew between them. "If you're vulnerable, I've got your back, we're partners. I thought we came to an agreement to trust each other. Let me prove to you that I'm more than a weak human." The half demon sighed loudly, the mortal was getting to him, and he knew that until they formed some kind of bond, they'd never be a good enough team to take down Naraku. "Okay, I'll be there. No excuses." Inuyasha continued the drive back to AFH, his distrust kept him from talking, so the rest of the trip back was made in complete silence.

(AN don't be afraid and leave me a review, and let me know which assassin you like best.)


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: I do not own the characters in this story, all rights to the characters belong to Rumiko Takahashi

Five

Inuyasha hated the heaviness that settled in his gut hours earlier, he felt as though he had eaten a rock for lunch. The human assassin would surely notice the great change in his appearance and he dreaded the idea of admitting his weakness. It was something he had hidden from all the agents in AFH, the only one aware of the changes made during the new moon, was Sesshomaru. He didn't know what Miroku would say, but he knew for certain that he would never let him hear the end of it, especially after all the hateful comments he, himself, had made about humans. The hanyou pulled on his black clothing, as her tried to think of a way to hide his hair and ears. His eye color change may just go unnoticed, if he was lucky, maybe Miroku didn't even know his natural eye color, it's not as though they knew each other well enough.

The task of tucking all of his hair into a beanie, was nothing short of a challenge, he hadn't realized how much of it was on his head. They'd be in a dark alley or street, so if luck was on his side that night, the man wouldn't notice the subtle changes. He gathered the rest of his belongings and stuffed them haphazardly into his duffle, he chuckled at the idea of Miroku neatly packing his bag, because he just figured that the human would put everything in its place. He then, tossed the strap onto his shoulder and marched out the door, mentally he prayed that Miroku wouldn't ask about the sudden addition to his clothes.

Miroku climbed into the car beside the hanyou and placed his things on the floorboard at his feet. He looked to his left to offer a casual greeting to his partner, but the sight of the dog demon with all his hair stuffed into a black beanie, caused him to laugh instead. Inuyasha eyed him angerily, this was not professional behavior, there was nothing funny about this situation. "What the hell are you laughing at? You're supposed to be the professional one here." The laughter slowly tapered off, as the violet eyed assassin regained some of his composure. "I'm sorry, Ninety Nine, it just caught me off guard is all. I mean...you look like a bobble head." The fits of laughter started again, he tried to keep them subtle, his hand pressed lightly over his mouth. "I do not look like a bobble head, so cut it out. This isn't funny."

Miroku tried to stop the laughter but only manged to get it down to a slight chuckle, aware of the daggers Inuyasha aimed with his eyes. "Did you even look in a mirror before you left the house? You look ridiculous." In a quiet fit of rage, the hanyou reached up and yanked down the visor to look in the tiny mirror, the sight wasn't what he expected, then, he too, began to laugh. "I guess I should have looked before coming here, I do look kind of stupid." Inuyasha normally wasn't the type to laugh at himself, but he didn't feel uncomfortable doing so with the assassin seated beside him. "Just take the thing off, I won't tell anyone that you turn human on the night of the new moon. Your secret is safe with me."

His, now, brown eyes widened with shock. He hadn't told Miroku that he was human and he wasn't sure how the guy even found out so easily. "Zero One told you. I'm gonna kill him when we get back to headquarters. It wasn't his place to tell you about my vulnerablity." The human chuckled again, he could sense the tension as it built back up between them and hung heavily. "He didn't tell me anything, I'm a trained monk. Remember? I noticed that your demonic aura was completely gone and I know that all half demons have a night where they are vulnerable. Naraku has one, we just don't know when it is, besides I don't think mortals are weak, I am one afterall."

So the monk turned assassin wasn't going to make fun of him or call him out for all the horrible things he had said about humans. "You are hard to understand, I thought for sure you would never let me live this night down." Miroku shrugged his shoulders nonchalantly, he had not been attempting to make the hanyou's evening a complete nightmare. "Why make you more uncomfortable than you already were? We're supposed to be a team, so we can't keep tearing each other down." Inuyasha didn't want to admit that he was wrong about humans, not all of them were bad. So the now human pulled the black beanie off his head and allowed his dark brown hair to fall past his shoulders as the tension faded away. "You wanna know something, Zero Fifteen." The violet eyed assassin turned to him, a look of curosity on his face. "Sure." "Well, you aren't so bad afterall."

Miroku laid in the plush bed, the room dark, the sweet scent of perfume in the air, and a familiar woman slept soundly beside him. The night had just lead to one dead end after another, but on the brightside, him and Inuyasha had found away to trust each other. The two unlikely partners had stood a better chance of finding and killing Naraku now that they had formed a possible friendship, at least a workplace friendship. He doubted that the two of them would ever get along outside of work, which wasn't something that bothered him either. He preferred to keep his home and work life seperate, there was no reason to change that rule now, he realized that once this mission was over, the two would probably never speak again.

He felt himself as he begun to drift off into a restless sleep, that would be riddled with nightmares and guilt. Ghosts of the past haunted him in his moments of rest, he was at his weakest when in the realm of his dreams. This time he was seated on a bench in a park his father used to take him to, when he was but a young boy, many happy hours were spent there. "Miroku, my son, you have grown into a violent man. I wish I could be proud of you." The voice once belonged to his father, the quiet dream would soon turn dark, and he was afraid to face the man. "You refuse to speak to your father? I did not teach you to be so disrespectful. Look at me when I'm speaking to you, Miroku."

The nightmares that plagued him did not want to cease the mental attacks, to look upon the man he had called father, would break him a little bit more. Yet he could not disobey his father, so he turned to face the mangled man he once knew. His father's face was bludgeoned beyond recognition, organs peaked out from a gash that went from his throat all the way down his abdomen, and eyes glazed with a deathly white film peered back at him. "You can't kill all the evil, without losing youself. Are you sliding into the darkness? How many more lives will you take?" Even he could not answer those questions, it seemed like no matter how many killers were taken from the world, more would crawl out of the darkest corners of the earth.

The park that was bathed in a glorious sunlight, was now dark and in ruins. It crumbled around him, death destroyed it like it did his once happy childhood. "Why do you keep coming to me like this, father? I do not understand." The smile the man before him offered was distorted and pain clawed at his heart, for he could no longer see his father's face prior to his gruesome demise. "Because you couldn't save me and you feel guilt. You believe my death to be your fault, because you had stayed hidden in that closet in the guest bedroom." Miroku knew of that horrific night all too well, it would forever be burned into his memory, and haunt him until the day, he too, was taken from this world. That was the day that Naraku had taken all he had left in the world and gave him a reason to hate and fear evil.

His father closed the gap between them, his steps slow due to the leg that was bent unnaturally, his face showed a quiet disappointment then. "You are becoming just like him, a silent killer in the night. Just look at you and all the blood on your hands. You disgust me, boy!" Blood? On his hands? He could not understand, it was not in his nature to make even the most vile murderer bleed. Even still, his gaze dropped to his hands, the warm and sticky liquid coated his hands, stained his shirt, and was splattered about at his feet. "I...I don't understand. I didn't do this." The man before him became transparent, but he still had the time to offer up a vague warning. "They are coming for you."

Miroku didn't know who " _they_ " were or why they would come after him. The dream took another darker turn, the sky changed to a bloody red, the sun seemed to wither until it's rays were black and ominous. Rain fell from the crimson atmosphere above, it burned and ate at his flesh, yet did not wash away the blood on his hands. He pleaded for himself to wake up and tear himself from the nightmare that consumed his mind. When in the distance, humanly figures appeared from the shadows, surrounded him at every corner. He was trapped in a sea of familiar face, the faces of his victims. Their hands outstretched, they grabbed at him, malice in all the eyes that looked upon him. Their angry cries pierced the air and shook every fiber of his being, he couldn't escape certain death.

It was then, that he jolted awake. The morning sun peaked through the curtain, the bed empty for all but him. He sat up, his feet placed down on the floor, at the side of the bed. He wearily wiped the sweat off of his forehead with unsteady hands, his heart raced in his chest painfully. He couldn't keep this up for much longer, the guilt ate him up inside, as it smothered his once bright light.

Inuyasha couldn't help but noticed how exhausted his human partner looked, dark circles had formed under his eyes, and his normally neat and tidy ponytail was replaced with messy loose hair. "You look terrible today. Are you feeling okay?" It wasn't as though he felt ill, he only needed a strong cup of coffee. "I'm alright, just a little tired is all. I didn't sleep well last night." It was a rather vague excuse, one he wasn't about to accept after his big secret came out in the open. "What kept you up all hours of the night?" Miroku had hoped the hanyou would remain his usual uncaring self and would not have taken the time to ask such a question. "Um, paperwork."

The half blood demon looked at the tired assassin skeptically, he had always been able to smell bullshit when it was being spilled. "I thought you wanted us to be honest with each other, build trust, or some sentimental crap like that." As much as he wanted to be honest with the hanyou, he had already had something like this thrown in his face. "I don't think it's something you would understand, Inuyasha. It's a human thing, I suppose." Miroku then poured himself a hot and steaming cup of coffee, while he hoped the inu youkai wouldn't ask him anymore questions. The white haired assassin was still curious, but decided, to instead, let the matter go. It wasn't really any of his business and it's not like he cared if the human didn't get enough sleep.

"Whatever you say, monk. If you change your mind and want to talk about it, I'll be here." The hanyou could feel the human's eyes on him, and that same face held a thoughtful air. "Do demon's even have nightmares?" The inquirey was random to say the least, unless bad dreams were what had kept the tired assassin up all hours of the night. "Of course we do. Even the strongest of youkai's have fears and doubts." Demons and humans tried to speak of how different they were, but maybe they were the same, in the ways where it truly counted. "So, nightmares kept you up, Miroku?" He nodded then, no use lying about it by that point. "I will always be haunted by the memories of my father's murder, but that's all I care to say about it right now." The hanyou understood and let the matter go, Miroku would talk about it if and when he was ready to.

(A.N: If you are enjoying this story and want to read more of the tale I am attempting to weave, please leave a review, follow the story, or add it to you favorites. I will put more effort into the most enjoyed stories, as I have so many in progress.)


	6. Chapter 6

Disclaimer: I do not own the characters in this story, all rights to the characters belong to Rumiko Takahashi

Six

It was safe to say, that the cheerful perfectionist, had not behaved like his usual self that day. Inuyasha had chosen not to continue to press him on the matter of his nightmares, but the human appeared to be deeply bothered by whatever plagued him nightly, in the hanyou's opinion. There were no smiles offered, no witty quips in return to his verbal jabs, or even the exasperated corrections when the inu youkai would purposely break procedures. It was as though the man was completely drained of his energy and running on auto-pilot. "We can just call it a day, Zero Fifteen. I'm pretty sure you're asleep on your feet." The monk forced a weak smile then, in a fragile attempt to convince Inuyasha that he was just fine. "It's too early to do such a thing, I'll be okay though, don't let me hold you back."

The two had not gotten any closer to finding Naraku's whereabouts and they had tracked down all the deadend leads. "There's nothing else we can do today, we've got nothing left to look into, so we might as well just go home. You're exhausted." The concern, the usual detached hanyou gave, was not something the other assassin expected, and as tired as he was, there was still work to be done. "I'm used to not sleeping, so I will finish out the day. We have a secondary target anyway, Takemaru has been killing innocent people for a month now. The man is not a typical target, he's a human that has come into the possession of a demon blade, and fallen under it's control. We are to destroy the sword Sounga and report back to base."

Inuyasha could not recall a time when an assassin was hired to assassinate a weapon, it would be an odd job to do. "So...we're killing a sword?" The white haired demon's inquiry was delivered in an aggitated manner. "This should be easy enough to accomplish. Don't ya think?" It did seem like an easy enough task, but Miroku knew that things were not always as simple as they appeared. "We can only hope that it will be. I know we should just focus on our main assignment, so you can get back to being a solo agent, like you want." The human's voice was sluggish, as though his tired mind wasn't completing his thoughts and words quickly enough. "Eh, there's no need to rush to finish, it's got to be done right. You're not so bad to work with either."

That was probably the nicest thing Inuyasha had ever said to the mortal and Miroku doubted he would hear anything that close to a compliment from the hanyou again. "If I didn't know any better, I'd say you were starting to like me." Miroku's voice held a little bit of energy then, he offered a half smile, before he returned to the work on his desk. Inuyasha chuckled slightly, confused that the guys words didn't piss him off. Him? Like a human? "Don't flatter yourself. I just don't mind working with you is all." Inuyasha had decided before this had all started, that he would not befriend the mortal, it would really put a hole in his image. "Of course, Inuyasha. What was I thinking?"

The words Miroku had spoken, dripped with sarcasm, and the hanyou's canine ears definitly picked it up. "Don't get all offended. I'm a demon and you're just a mortal, we're on two different levels." At that moment, enough was enough, and Miroku had remained silent for as long as he could. He stood up and faced Inuyasha bravely, his eyes flashed dangerously as he stared at the assassin before him. "That's it! Yes, you are a demon, a half demon. Part of you is human too. I may be a mortal, bound by time, but that does not make you better than me. I hoped you could get past your superiority complex and just accept that you are no better than a human. Though maybe you're right, we are on different levels. You're stuck in a place where you think you're better than every one else, I'm on a plain of acceptance. So if you can't get on my level, we'll never catch Naraku, nor, much to your delight, ever be friends."

The furious human, gathered up his things, before he began to make his way to the exit. It had been a long day and he needed to speak to the Director, so he could head home early. "Miroku, wait. Don't go getting all sensitive on me. Why do humans have to be so emotional all the time?" The hanyou had mistaken the man's reaction as hurt feelings and had opened his mouth before he thought it completely through. "I wasn't trying to upset you and hurt your feelings or anything." The violet eyed assassin scoffed at his clueless partners incorrect assumptions. "My heart is still intact, there is nothing you can say to devastate me. I'm angry at your arrogance and thoughtless words. Now, if you'll excuse, I need to go talk to the boss."

Inuyasha couldn't understand why his partner had become so angry over something so insignificant. He hadn't meant any harm and had not intended to anger him, he thought the mortal was aware of their differences. White ears twitched at the sound of the main office door, as it opened and closed with a snap. Curiousity quickly had gotten the better of him, so he marched over, to find out what he could over hear. "I know my little brother can be a bit careless with what he says, but you have helped him grow so much as an agent. I know you see the change as much as I do, you can't quit now." Inuyasha could hear the other assassin as he paced about on the other side of the wall. "If you demons didn't act like humans were beneath you. I have done more than prove my worth and bravery. My body can't take the damage a demon's can, but that does not hold me back, and I am a top notch agent. Even with those accomplishments, your half demon brother won't look at me as an equal."

The hanyou flung open the door then and strolled into the room calmly, he had every right to interrupt when he was the topic. "We're not equals, Miroku. I'm built differently than you, can take a lot more. Human's are fragile creatures." Violet eyes flashed with a burning hot rage, he clenched his fists in frustration, and stepped forward to face Inuyasha eye to eye. "Yeah, we are, but unlike you. I don't hide in fear once a month, because I'm vulnerable to damage, I don't hide at all. I have no special weapons and I'm not nearly immortal, just a human, who is trying to make the world a safer place. I don't kill for pleasure or sport, this isn't a game to me. Maybe, just maybe, you need to grow up and look at things like an adult, instead of an invincible and clueless teenager."

This man really did have a lot of nerve, talking to him like that. Who did he think he was? Inuyasha never was all that good at controlling his temper and it didn't appear that things would change that afternoon. The hanyou lashed out suddenly, he pushed the mortal hard, with enough force to knock him to the floor. "Shut the hell up, Miroku! You know nothing about me." The violent outburst may have stunned the human assassin, but it did not scare him, his gaze was back on the half demon and it was steady. "So that's how this works? You get to say whatever you want to about me, because you know me so well. But tell me Inuyasha, how is what I'm saying about you wrong?" The inu youkai could feel himself take a mental stumble, he should have known that this guy would take advantage of his little secret. "That's different and you know it. I make a lot of enemies and when a half demon is at his weakest, those kinds of people take advantage of the situation. I'm not scared of anything."

Miroku calmly pulled himself back on his feet, the frustration never quite left his face, not even for a moment. "Is that so? Then why not go out there and tell all your 'friends' about your dirty little secret. Better yet, show them next month." The man began to make his way out of the office door, he strolled past Inuyasha in silence, and reached for the knob. The anger still fueled Inuyasha's actions and he whirled around to grab Miroku's arm, in a painfully tight grip. "You keep your damned mouth shut or I'll make sure you do. I will not let you make me a big joke around here." "I wasn't going to tell anyone a damn thing. Now take your hands off of me, coward." The mortal jerked his arm out of the hanyou's grip, the adrenaline coursed through his veins, as he stormed out of the office. "I'm done for the day, Zero One, I'm going home!"

Sesshomaru eyed his brother in an exhausted manner, as he tapped his clawed fingers on the desk rhythmically. "You really need to watch what you say. Your actions do have consequences, I hope you know." Inuyasha shrugged his shoulders in a dismissive way, while he tried to keep the uncaring visage. "He doesn't have to be so sensitive about it. So I'm stronger than he is, I don't see why the truth bothers him so much." The youkai grinned in a way that the younger brother didn't like, it was how he smiled when he was about the crush the other's confidence. "Really now? Word around the office, is that he beat you in the training ring." Inuyasha growled, the sound started in his chest and rumbled up his throat, like rolling thunder during a storm. "Shut up, Sesshomaru. He just got lucky is all." The chief merely grinned in a knowing way, the victor had won with skill, not sheer luck. "So you say."

His elder brother had a lot of nerve, he talked down on him all the time, and it never appeared to take much thought. "He got all weird and I just didn't know how to handle it. He did some spiritual hocus pocus, it honestly wasn't a fair fight. I couldn't punch someone that had their eyes closed, it would have been very unsportsman like of me." This wasn't news to the leading agent of AFH, he knew of every little thing that went on around the office, and he was also well aware of Miroku's prior training. He knew why his younger brother was careful with his feelings around humans as well, he hoped Inuyasha would have shared a little bit more on his past with the mortal, but he yet to open up completely. "Inuyasha, have you considered telling your partner about her?" The hanyou's eyes hardened to a steely stare, his older brother pushed his luck a little too far for even the attempt to bring her into this. "No, that is none of his damn business and you know it, Sesshomaru."

As true as that statement was, Zero One knew that it would only help the two form some kind of trust. "I am not saying that it is, but it would help him understand your detachment from humans." Inuyasha only scoffed at the idea, he had no intentions of sharing his past with the mortal. "He's got his secrets, I got mine. If he can be all quiet about his silly little nightmares, I can be just as quiet about her. Seems fair to me." Sesshomaru sighed in resignation, it would appear that he would get absolutely no where with Inuyasha and would have to try his luck with a conversation with Miroku. Maybe he could get the mortal agent to agree with some kind of plan to gain rapport and a semblence of trust. "Do what you must, Inuyasha, I was only trying to help you get back to flying solo, but if you'd rather remain stubborn, be my guest." Inuyasha hated how everyone constantly reminded him that he couldn't act as an agent on his own, it grated on his nerves in a very obvious way.

(A.N: If you are enjoying this story and want to read more of the tale I am attempting to weave, please leave a review, follow the story, or add it to you favorites. I will put more effort into the most enjoyed stories, as I have so many in progress. Be patient with me over these next few months, my mother passed away on the Jan 3, 2018, and I am having a difficult time focusing.)


	7. Chapter 7

Disclaimer: I do not own the characters in this story, all rights to the characters belong to Rumiko Takahashi.

Seven

Miroku woke with a start the next morning, the same faces haunted him every single time he closed his eyes, and each time he felt helpless to stop the hands that grasped for his life. He turned to make sure he hadn't woke the woman that shared his bed, to find her face still serene, she still slept. He slung his legs over the side of the bed, two things on his mind a cup of hot coffee and an even hotter shower. With those thoughts in mind, he pulled himself out of bed and prepared himself for another day of making villians disappear. Agent Zero One had sent him a request to be at headquarters early to speak with him on some important matters, so the mortal assassin only had half an hour to get ready for another day.

He had arrived at AFH a quarter after seven, he wasn't as drained as he was yesterday, and figured he could handle Inuyasha's attitude better, since he was able to get a decent amount of sleep. He took the elevator to the top floor, as he began to wonder what the boss wanted to speak with him about. It could be that he decided to team his tempermental half brother with a different agent, but he knew he wouldn't be so lucky. The doors slid open after coming to a stop on the tenth floor and Miroku was immediately greeted be Sesshomaru himself. "Agent Zero Fifteen, I'm glad you could find the time to join me this morning, especially on such short notice. I asked you here to discuss the partner I have forced upon you." Miroku wasn't surprised by what had brought him here, he knew as well as anyone one else, that the two of them didn't mesh well as a team. The two assassin's entered the tidy office, both took a seat on opposite sides of the desk, now that they both faced the other, the conversation continued. "I figured as much. Have you decided it would be best if he worked with someone else?"

Sesshomaru had considered pairing his brother up with another agent, but none could boast the same accomplishments as Miroku, and none would have the patience or tact to deal with Inuyasha on a long term basis. "I really feel that you are the best agent for him to learn from and you both have the potential of being a great team, as seen with the mission of Juromaru and Kageromaru. It is possible for the two of you to work together and to complete a mission in a timely manner. The real problem here is a lack of communication and trust, you could try sharing something with him, you do know his biggest secret after all." Miroku eyed his boss skeptically, revealing something of himself to Inuyasha, would only give the hanyou more ammunition to use against him. He had already thrown his dislike of drawing his target's blood and mocked him for it. "I don't know if things can be that simple, Zero One, I don't need him having something else to throw in my face."

Sesshomaru's clawed fingers tapped on the desk in a timed and quiet ryhthem, as he tried to conclude how best to proceed. "I know my younger brother can be an impulsive young man, but he cares more then he lets people know. Being a half demon comes with it's own set of challenges, he's prideful because he had to earn his respect and build his reputation here. He's a bit defensive, but that's just how he learned to live his life. Maybe if you show him your weakness, he won't be so guarded of his." Miroku wanted to believe that it could all be that simple, but he feared it wouldn't be. He knew he could just swallow his own pride and tell Inuyasha about his nightmares, and if he did just use it against him later, he could ignore it. It wasn't normally like him to care what others thought about him anyway, so there was no reason for him to take the harsh words of others to heart now. "I guess there would be nothing to lose, so I suppose I could give it a try. No guarentees that it will work though, you know how stubborn your brother can be. I swear it must be a family trait."

The stoic white haired youkai smiled slightly at the mortal's remark about his family and couldn't find it in him to disagree. "I won't argue with you on that, we are known for being headstrong, we get it from our father. There is a stubborn streak in you as well, there has to be, in order for you to be able put up with Inuyasha, for even this long." Miroku was normally a laid back individual, he tended to go with the flow, but he still had his own morals and beliefs, for which he stood by. "I have my moments, but I'm quite sure that you two have the gold medals for it. If I was as stubborn as the two of you, I would have told you to shove this idea somewhere vulgar, but instead I am telling you that I'll give it a shot." The assassin tried to speak with a calm confidence, but the hesitation in his voice was somewhat noticable.

Sesshomaru did want his human agent to realize that he was understanding of his struggles of having to work with his younger brother, so he did have a bit of good news for him. "I gave the Sounga case to another agent, you both no longer have to worry about it, instead I am sending you both after Hakudoshi. He is an underling to Naraku, not only is he a target, but he needs to be questioned, this is the perfect job for Inuyasha." Zero One, gave the silent motion for one of his best agents to take leave, he watched as Zero Fifteen quietly left his office, all while he hoped that his plan to get the two working together would work in his favor. It wouldn't do if his two best assassins were to kill each other off, it had to work, or Inuyasha may as well hand in his credentials. He didn't really care for that outcome, he much preferred to keep both agent Zero Fifteen and Ninety Nine on the field, where they belonged.

The elevator descended to the main floor, the lone occupant was deep in thought, unsure of how he would even bring up the topic of his past with the hanyou. It wasn't like Inuyasha made it easy for others to share such private details with him. The doors slid open on the fourth floor, Inuyasha waited by Miroku's desk, and his impatience was quite obvious. Amber eyes quickly locked onto the human assassin, as it was him that the other had been waiting for, and it didn't take long for the half demon to reach the monk's side. "It's not like you to be late. Where the hell where were you?" It was odd that there was an underlying edge of concern or worry in the hanyou's voice. "I was asked to meet with Zero One today and I agree with what we spoke about. I know something about you that might make you a bit uncomfortable and to make things fair, you should know somethimg about me, as well."

Inuyasha brows furrowed a bit, he wasn't even entirely sure if he heard his partner correctly, and wasn't really feeling up to some sentimental crap. "Keh, whatever man. Just don't make it all weird." The two made their way to a private conference room as neither of them wanted to cause a scene. Miroku had to detach himself from the story he was about to tell the hanyou, as paniful as it was, Inuyasha needed to understand why his fellow assassin hated the very sight of blood. "When I was eight years old, my mom, was gunned down in a drive by. My father was a detective at the time of her murder, assigned to the case of taking down a weapons smuggler. I suppose he had grown close to solving the case and that was his warning to stop snooping." Inuyasha listened rather intensely to the tale that had rapidly pulled him in and piqued his interest.

He had decided to stay silent, as not to change the mind of the human, and cause him to stop sharing his secret. The pause lingered for a moment longer, before Miroku drew in a shaky breath and continued. "Being so close to the case, my father was put on paid leave, and told not to investigate the death of his wife. Other agents were given the case, but my dad, he couldn't leave it be. He opened an investigation on his own, regardless of the order he received by his superior. Two years he worked tirelessly, as he tried to bring the killer to justice, and he finally got a name; Naraku." Miroku closed his indigo eyes, he needed a moment to prepare himself to continue, as he had come to the difficult part.

The hanyou was rather enthralled, he wanted to urge him to go on, but the kind part of him told him to be patient. When Miroku opened his eyes again, there was a touch of determination found within them. "Then one night, while I laid in my room, all was still, until the sound of glass breaking shattered the silence. I had snuck out of my room, with the intent of reaching my father's room. I was in the hall, when I heard the sound of footsteps ascending the stairs, I panicked, and slipped into the guest room. Once there, I hid in the closet, the intruder was in the hall, and all I could do was cower. The first door near the staircase was slammed open, my room, and the bang that sounded woke my father." Inuyasha eyed Miroku incredulousy, he had begun to shed tears, but his voice was even, calm, completely detached.

It was then that Inuyasha realized the Miroku plowed through the story because it was still painful, and he only forced himself to do so for the other's sake. "That's enough, Miroku, you can stop." Miroku shook his head in protest, he would finish, and maybe Inuyasha could finally understand the mortal he wanted to dislike. "I can do this, Inuyasha." The determination shone through the tears and he still managed a weak smile, then he pushed on. "My father stormed out of his room and came face to face with the man that shot down his wife. While I, his son, hid and did nothing but cover his ears and hoped to block out the noises of the assault that happened just beyond two doors. When suddenly silence, a silence that seemed to stretch out forever. The nerve finally came to exit the closet, the door to the bedroom was slightly ajar, and the smell of copper hung heavily in the air."

Miroku choked on a sob and Inuyasha could see the trembling in his hands, he hoped the human would stop then. There was no need to push forward, Inuyasha knew there was only one way this story could end. "You've shared enough, Miroku. You can stop." The monk did want to stop, but he was almost to the end, and he would finish. "I moved to the door and pulled it open, there was blood everywhere, the walls, the frames that decorated them and even the ceiling. A stream of crimson slowly moved along the wooden floor, down the stairs. My eyes followed that very trail back down the hall, and to the feet of my dad. I couldn't even recognize his face, terror took over, and all I could do was scream. My cries woke the neighbors, police had to drag me away from the empty shell, I was called my father. I've hated the very sight of blood ever since that horrific night." And just like that, the determination faded and Miroku's shoulders slumped as all the energy left his body.

Inuyasha couldn't speak, he didn't know how to comfort someone, nor could he tell if Miroku wanted to be comforted. It was the mortal's voice that broke through the silence. "My nightmare always include my father, he always appears as he did after his brutal murder. A blungeoned face, deep gashes, and a broken leg. He tells me that I am becoming a mindless killer, just like Naraku. Then all the victims I have collected over the years, they come for their revenge, and try to kill me. I wake up in a cold sweat, aware that it was but a mere nightmare, yet I am still shakened by it. So I suppose it is fair for you to call me weak, but not all humans are like me, Inuyasha. Some are like my dad, they face the fears and fight, not hide from them." Inuyasha hadn't expected Miroku to open up to him in such a way and reveal so much about his dark past. "You didn't have to tell all of that. I'm not really sure if I understand why you did."

The human assassin offered a smile that was laced with pain and shrugged in a dismissive manner. "Because I learned about your one night of weakness, I guess it was only fair if I explained my dislike of blood." That was only half true, it wasn't as though it was entirely his plan to begin with, but he figured it was the easiest explanation. "So you say, but you knew that half demons all had a night of weakness, so what if you didn't know when my was. You gave me a pretty deep secret and you only learned a portion of something you pretty much already knew. Why would you do that? You don't make any sense at all." Miroku sighed tiredly, his face weary, as the ordeal of recounting his father's death hit him. "Because, if we ever hope to take down, Naraku, there has to be trust between us. So I just shared something with you that I have never told another soul, I hope you don't use it against me."

The unease settled in Miroku's chest half way through his narrative and it sat there like a stone, heavy and unmoving. "On a completely different topic, we have a new mission, that should be right up your alley. We are to track down a Hakudoshi and since he is a henchman to Naraku, we are supposed to question him. This isn't exactly my sort of job, so I'm giving you the lead on this one." Inuyasha sat in silence, unsure of what to say, the pain Miroku felt was clear, and the hanyou didn't know how to put his partner at ease. He thought it through quickly and figured it was best to carry on as usual. "I never would have guessed that you would put me in charge of a mission." Inuyasha casually picked up his duffle bag, before he made his way back into the hall, while Miroku calmed himself, glad that Inuyasha continued on without pressing the matter too far.

(A.N: If you are enjoying this story and want to read more of the tale I am attempting to weave, please leave a review, follow the story, or add it to you favorites. I will put more effort into the most enjoyed stories, as I have so many in progress. This story is taking a bit of a darker turn, there will still be humor when it is called for, but there may be less.)


	8. Chapter 8

Disclaimer: I do not own the characters in this story, all rights to the characters belong to Rumiko Takahashi.

Eight

Inuyasha drove through the warehouse district, Miroku sat in the passenger seat beside him, and had remained silent ever since they had both left the headquarters. He stared out the window vacantly, he looked at the buildings that surrounded them, but his violet eyes didn't really see them. The hanyou wanted to break the awkward quiet that settled over them, but he didn't know what to say to bring Miroku back to his normal self. The human hadn't even taken the time to chastise Inuyasha when he had purposefully been going well over the posted speed limit. It took a great deal of thought and, what Inuyasha considered, careful choice of what words to use, to shatter the silence. "I thought you only talked to me about your past and nightmares as a way for us to form some trust and open communication, but you're shutting down now."

Miroku's gaze remained locked on the window, Inuyasha knew that the monk had to have heard him, but he wouldn't look at the driver. "I told you, because I wanted you to understand why I dislike blood as much as I do and why I would risk my life to destroy the evil that lurks in this world." Sharp claws dug into the leather cover on the steering wheel, he felt concern, and it bothered him that he did. He was not friends with the human, but he had begun to care, even if it was against his better judgement. "I think there was more to it then that, you could have just told me that you witnessed your father's murder and it was bloody, but you went into detail. You relived it and now it's bothering you." Violet eyes finally shifted towards the hanyou, Inuyasha recognized the confused look on his partner's face, but Miroku only shook his head and remained quiet.

Inuyasha may not have been what most considered perceptive, but even he could tell that the mortal had wanted to say something. "You normally don't hesitate to speak your mind, Zero Fifteen, don't know why you would change that now." Miroku shrugged his shoulders in a casual motion, as a way to dismiss what the half demon said, before he spoke up again. "It's nothing, just a thought, but you have made it abundently clear, that what I was thinking, could not happen. So I stopped myself from making a fool of myself for a second time and to keep us from going off on each other again. We should just focus on finding Hakudoshi, so you can do your thing." He offered the hanyou a fake smile, had Inuyasha not come to know the monk turned assassin, he would have fallen for the weak attempt.

His annoyance grew with each passing second, he knew what the words were that Miroku refused to speak, and that the idea of it wasn't bothering him at all, which only added to his annoyance. His blank expression turned into a scowl, his fingers strummed on the steering wheel in aggravation, and his change in temperment had begun to get notice from his passenger. "I didn't even say anything and you already seem rather mad." This is what Miroku had hoped to avoid, he didn't want to have to share another dark secret with the hanyou. "I'm not mad at you, Zero Fifteen, I'm mad at myself, try as I might to not be, I'm concerned about you. Dammit." The monk wanted to respond, but found himself too shocked to form any sort of response, nor did he want to anger the hanyou in any way. Instead he forced himself to visually relax, if only to set the driver, that set next to him, at ease. The tension would remain in the mortal until their current mission was over, this wasn't exactly the type of job he would take, it went against his very training.

Inuyasha seemed a bit tense himself, but it appeared to stem from excitement, the hanyou was completely in his element. Miroku wasn't used to following the orders of another agent, but he felt obligated to prove to Inuyasha that he could follow directions given to him by someone his equal, even if Inuyasha thought himself to be superior. The truth was, Miroku knew the dangers of speaking to someone who was associated with, Naraku, and he only wanted to see the man who murdered his dad once, and that was to be the one time it would take to remove the threat from the city permanently. Over the years he had grown unsure of himself and his ability to take down such a formidable half demon, but with Inuyasha on the case with him, he believed that they might stand a chance. "Ninety-nine, I think you're ready to take a mission with me behind the scenes, I'll help you find the target, but you will be the one to catch and question him. That sound okay with you?" The silver haired canine youkai casted a quick, but pleased glance to his right, before he responded. "It's the ideal plan, because it's about time you stand back to watch and learn something from me."

Miroku pulled out his tablet, hacking the traffic cameras was a bit more difficult while in motion, but it wasn't something he couldn't handle. If Hakudoshi was out and about, the violet eyed assassin would find him and it was a task he could perform without feeling uncomfortable. The facial recognition software he had devolped made quick work of running through every face captured on every available camera the city had to offer. It didn't take long for him to receive a hit and point Inuyasha in the right direction, the hanyou pulled the car over to let Miroku out, but the human hesitated for a moment. He reached into the pouch that he clipped to the band of his pants, and offered Inuyasha a small bottle he kept on his person. "That will help keep the target honest, you don't have to use it, but I thought I'd offer it anyway." Inuyasha took the small glass vile and his partner got out of the car, without saying another word, to leave the hanyou to handle the mission on his own. Golden eyes watched as Miroku slipped into the back seat of another parked car, it pulled away, and began it's journey back to AFH.

Inuyasha put his car in drive and headed towards the street his partner had given him, he was completely in his element, and he felt the strange desire to impress the mortal he worked alongside. Yes, he wanted to pull off this mission flawlessly, show everyone at the organzation that he didn't need help to follow the protocal that was assigned to the agents. Time was of the essense, the less amount of time put into any given mission meant a higher likelihood that it would end in success. He picked up speed, but kept himself well within a legal speed, no one batted on eyes at a driver going a few miles over the posted speed limit. It didn't take him too long to find the shady carnation of Naraku Onigumo, he slinked through the dark alleyways like the coward he likely was, in an attempt to remain unseen. The hanyou pulled over to the shoulder and put his car in park.

He pulled his forged FBI credentials out of his glovebox, then he climbed out of the car, and began to follow his target down the dark alley. "Excuse me, Hakudoshi Onigumo, I'm Detective Takashiro. I have a few questions for you." The carnation turned to face the voice, just as Inuyasha flashed his fake credentials, he could sense the criminal fought the urge to run, but instead found it best to remain where he stood. "I don't know nothin', officer. So you ain't got no reason to talk with me." Inuyasha grinned, he loved dealing with the unintelligent, they were much easier to get answers from, all you have to do is out wit them, which was an easy enough task. "I know who you work for and I am very interested in your boss." He took a pair of cuffs out of his pocket and gave one of his very best performances. He pushed the target up against the wall, before cuffing him, and escorting him to his car. The organzations second location was disguised as a police department and Miroku was supposed to be there waiting for him to watch the interrogation from behind a two way mirror.

Miroku waited in the room assigned to him and his partner, the interrogation room the hanyou was to be in was well lit, while the room he was seated in was dim and nearly empty. The whole idea of questioning a known criminal and cohort of Naraku, was rather disconserting to say the least. He hadn't actually had to speak with criminals for some time now, although it was the norm while he was working as a detective with the precinct, but that was some years back now. The door on the other side of the two way mirror swung open and Inuyasha appeared while forcefully leading the target through the doorway. The carnation of Naraku wasn't following orders without making some sort of a fuss, but the assassin didn't really appear to pay much attention to the other man. "You're wastin' your time talkin' with me, Naraku don't tell me nothin' of importance. He just don't trust me, ya know." Inuyasha shoved Hakudoshi down in the metallic fold away chair, before he took the seat on the other side of the table. "All you have to do is answer these questions honestly, sometimes any little thing can help."

Pale lavender eyes hovered over Inuyasha, his suspicion wasn't even attempted to be hidden, as their witness leaned forward in a defiant manner. "I ain't sayin' nothin'. If you really know about my boss, you know that anyone who defies him, don't live too long. Talkin' to you won't do me no good, just put a target on my head." Inuyasha leaned back in his chair, he kept his air of calm, and his attitude of indifference was enough to make the criminal a little more than uncomfortable. "I can understand that, Hakudoshi. Thing is, we have enough on you to put you away for a long time. You are an accessory to every crime your boss committed." The offender shifted in his seat anxiously, the sweat gathered on his brow, and the man lost what little color his pale skin possessed. "You're preachin' to the choir. I know I gotta go down for him. Even in jail, he'd get me. His reach goes far, farther than you even know. I'd be dead long 'fore I ever get to the witness stand. So I 'spose you'll have to lock me up and throw away the key." The hanyou gave a defeated sigh, he hoped the guy would cave, and talk for a more lenient sentence. "If you'll excuse me for a minute, Hakudoshi, I need to have a word with the higher ups."

The assassin got up from his seat, crossed the interrogation room, and slipped out of the door as he closed and locked it behind him. He joined Miroku in the observation room, their target still sat in the chair, and appeared ill at ease. "He doesn't seem like he's going to talk. He clamed up the moment I approached him, even Naraku's allies are fearful of his reach." His raven haired partner agreed with a quick nod of the head, before he took up a bottle of whiskey, and poured a glass. Inuyasha eyed him incredulously, as the honey colored liquid filled the glass, halfway. "What on earth are you doing? We can't drink on the job." The monk merely rolled his eyes, before he replaced the bottle to the top of the file cabinet. "It's for our witness, not me. Still got the vile I gave you?" The hanyou reached into his pocket and retrieved the little bottle. "Yeah, I still got it." He handed it back to his partner, who took it, and dranied the contents into the glass of liquor he had just poured. "Why not see if our informant is a little parched?"

He passed the glass to Inuyasha, the half demon carefully accepted it, as he wondered what exactly the human had added to the glass. "I guess it's worth a shot, it obvious that he isn't sharing much right now." He left Miroku and returned to the interrogation room, the cup still in hand. The glass of whiskey was placed in front of Hakudoshi, who eyed it with expection, and amber eyes recognized the look. "You seemed a bit tense, a drink could take the edge off, if you want it that is." The offender took the glass and downed its contents in one quick gulp, returned the cup to the table, and then wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. "That tasted like the high quality stuff, really hit the spot, but I ain't gonna talk, no sir." Inuyasha shrugged his shoulders, he'd play it cool until Miroku's strange elixir kicked in, as he figured it best to keep the idiot relaxed. "You have the right to remain silent, but I would like you to confess to your part in the crimes. I mean, you'd get less questions, wouldn't even need to be called to the stands if you pled guilty." The man with the pale eyes swayed in his seat, he figured he must of got some really good stuff, as his mind grew foggy and susceptible to suggestion.

The hanyou could quickly see the haze the glazed over the man's pale lavender eyes, whatever was in that vile seemed to be pretty fast acting. "Look Hakudoshi, I want to help you, but you have to work with me here. I don't think you would have wound up in any sort of trouble, but you got yourself all mixed up in Naraku's business." The henchman swayed in his seat slightly, his unfocused gaze tried to stay locked with the assassin's, but it wasn't the easiest of tasks. "Man, you have no idea the things he's had me do..." The sentence trailed off as his words slurred, Inuyasha leaned back and placed his hands on the table before him. "If you want to come clean, now is your chance. Thing is, Naraku does need every man he has under him, but you are all expendable to him. You've been caught and he isn't going to help you out, he actually expects you to take the fall for him. You're just a pawn in his little game. You gonna change that?"

The man tried to give Inuyasha a hard stare, but it wasn't a very tactical attempt, in fact he still couldn't get himself to really seem focused. "I ain't no pawn. I'm a key member to his family. I'm one of his top hitmen. I may not look like much but I'm dangerous. I have killed plenty of people for, Naraku." Inuyasha shifted forward in his seat and offered him a cocky grin. "So, you admit to commiting murder? That's one charge againt you. Care to tell me how many people you've killed?" Lavender eyes widened in shock, he didn't know why he bragged about his position to a fed, and it was too late to take it back. "Well, I don't know. It ain't like I keep a list. I just do what I'm told's all." The assassin shrugged in an uncaring way, he had to appear like a cop who just needed to place the charges on someone. "I can't help you unless you help me. Far as things go now, I have your murder confession. I can give you a deal, but if I scratch your back, you gotta scratch mine. Know what I mean?"

The fear the perp felt was registered all over his face, didn't seem like he could hide his true feelings if he tried. "I get ya, man. What do you want to know?" The hanyou pretended to look through some papers in a blank file, like he had to really think about what he needed from the man. "All I need from you, is to tell me where Naraku is hiding. Can you do that for me or does he not trust you that much?" Hakudoshi seemed furious that Inuyasha didn't believe that his boss had any trust in him. "Yeah, he trust me that much. I know exactly where he is." Inuyasha nodded slowly, before he picked up the briefcase that was beside his chair. He opened it and placed the file inside. He glanced over the edge of it with a mock disbelief, before he closed it with a snap. "I think you're lying to me. He doesn't let you know about his hideouts. You probably only know about the place he holds his family meetings. I think I'm done here." Miroku watched on from the other room, he was intrigued by the hanyou's tactics, but it appeared to be working well enough.

The man seated on the other side of the table slammed his fists on its surface. He was red in the face with fury and he stared at Inuyasha like he was garbage in his way. "I know what I'm talking about, you moron. Naraku's main headquarters is in the warehouse district. He bought a toy factory out there. Shikon Toys, to be exact. Hides the drugs, cash, and weapons inside of the products. His office is on the second floor. How's that for having his trust, huh?" He huffed and panted, Inuyasha almost thought the creep would start foaming at the mouth, but he got what he wanted. "I suppose I was wrong. He does trust you, too bad it was misplaced. Thank you, Hakudoshi. I'm done with you now, I got all that I needed from you." Panic set in once Hakudoshi recognized his mistake. The one thing he was supposed to do was keep his mouth shut, he knew better than to go flapping his gums like that. Inuyasha got up and made his way to the only door, just as the target began to plead. "Wait! Don't go! You can't go there. He'll find out I squealed and he'll have me killed! Wait! Please!"

Inuyasha ignored the pleading and begging. He exited the interrogation room. Just outside the door another agent stood waiting, he waited until the hanyou gave him the verbal signal. "Take care of him. He gave us the targets location, he's no longer of any use." The other agent nodded before he slipped into the room. Inuyasha was rejoined by Miroku in the hall, his grin was wide and cocky. "And that, Miroku, is how you interrogate a perp." Miroku didn't remind him that without the his truth syrum, the man probably wouldn't have cracked, but found it easier to just let Inuyasha have his moment. "I took notes, Inuyasha." If the hanyou noticed the sarcasm, he didn't say anything about it. He was much too proud of himself to let the mortal rain on his parade. "Next step, is to stake out Shikon Toys. If he really is there, then that's where the fun really begins." Miroku faked a smile, but it was convincing enough to trick the hanyou. "I'm just glad this almost over."

Inuyasha scoffed loudly, he just didn't completely understand his partner. "Come on. Aren't you excited about infiltrating his little crime ring? We will really be two thorns in his side then. I can't wait to see the look on his face when we finally kill him." The human couldn't even act like he was remotely excited about facing off against, Naraku. Sure he wanted to avenge his mother and father, but not at the risk of everything else he cared about. Truth be told, he had always feared the man who killed his family, and he didn't see that changing anytime soon. "Let's just get the mission completed without making it into a big show. Remeber, this time you are supposed to complete the job using the organizations protocal." Inuyasha rolled his eyes and some irritation laced his voice. "You don't gotta constantly remind me, I know." He slapped him on the back, his grin was back in place, and he offered his own advice. "You better rest up tonight, because tomorrow the real fun begins."

Inuyasha left him then, he had every intentions of going home and taking his own advice. Miroku, on the other hand, paced about the building for a few minutes. If things went well over the course of the next few days, he really needed to take a few days off to reevaluate his life. Over the last few months, he had wondered if he was on the path that was right for him. Maybe it was high time for him to think things over and make some tough decisions. He calmed himself down and did find the determination to finish out this mission. In a way, it was only fitting that he play apart in taking down the monster that changed his whole world. It was Naraku that lead Miroku into law inforcement, which in turn lead him to being discovered by Sesshomaru. Him being given this particular target had to be fate and with Inuyasha on his side, he could finally have things come full circle. Once he had thought everything through, in his level headed way, he too decided to go home. Home, the warmest place he knew.

(A.N: I am not too sure what people think of this story, but I still have every intentions of finishing it. If you are following this or giving it a read, please leave me a review, I just love it when the readers tell me what they think.)


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